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What ever happened to the casino up in the hills?


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Apparently, they obtained permission to construct the road.... but that is all they have. They will need to obtain permits for the development from the current government. That is what I was told by a neighbor who was talking to some Chapala City official that has something to do with permits.

After the last two big rains, when I was there in early June, they had a big mess of rocks to clean off the road.

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Found this old article in the GDL Reporter.


Controversial Ajijic land development project resumes
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Details Published on Friday, 31 August 2012 11:24 Written by Dale Hoyt Palfrey

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A LONG AND WINDING ROAD SNAKES ITS WAY UP THE HILLSIDE OVERLOOKING THE CHAPALA-AJIJIC BYPASS ON ROUTE TO THE LAS MINAS DEVELOPMENT.

After a five-month hiatus, heavy machinery operators are back at work on the winding dirt road that snakes across the face of a steep hillside overlooking the Chapala-Ajijic bypass.

The roadway gives access to 17 hectares of land blocked out for Las Minas, a residential and tourist lodging project that has generated considerable controversy among residents and environmentalists alike.

According to Chapala Urban Planning Department chief Enrique Rivas, full development of the project remains on hold, pending compliance with all red tape requirements by various government agencies.

He explained that the road work was halted last March on orders of Profepa, the federal agency in charge of enforcing Mexico’s environmental laws. The suspension order was issued following an inspection of the site carried out by Profepa officials last November and a subsequent review of the process of obtaining approval of an environmental impact study submitted to the Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat).

Initially, Profepa ruled that further development of the land could not proceed until certain steps in the Semarnat procedure were completed. However, Rivas, said Profepa partially lifted the ban on August 1, with a provision that further work be limited solely to stabilization of soil and slopes to prevent landslide incidents.

The blueprints for Las Minas presented to the planning office map out plots for low and minimal density residential structures as defined by state law. They will stretch over the face of hillside and culminate in a complex of tourist cabins at the summit.

The project is registered in the name of Fernando Delgado Aguilera. Some opponents allege that this individual is acting as a front man for influential politicians who are bankrolling the development.

Rivas said the current municipal government does not have the power to scotch the project as a whole, being bound to findings and authorizations issued by previous city administrations going back as far as 1994. Nonetheless, full construction cannot proceed until specific studies and other requirements demanded at all levels of government are fulfilled.

Does anyone serious believe they would continue to spend money on this if they didn't know they were going to get it approved?

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As a newbie, and one who doesn't see WalMart as the end all of despoiling the town, something about this racks my gut a bit. I mean I am sure all the old timers who remember when there was no WalMart to obstruct the view of the lake when you came off the libramiento, it must have been a catastrophe, but the mountains here, even the ones with developments, look more pristine to me. I can't imagine what having that mountainside dotted with buildings is going to look like. Well, time will tell and I've found that if it is inevitable, what can you do but complain and let it happen.

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A more current article says: http://www.informador.com.mx/jalisco/2013/459860/6/reanudan-obras-en-cerro-de-el-travesano-en-chapala.htm

Using google translate - and some of it is garbled - but not the part that says the developers has all the permits

The City of Chapala and SEMARNAT indicate that the construction company has all the rights to continue the construction of the hotel complex and housing

Chapala, JALISCO (24/MAY / 2013 ). -After a closure that broke the year, again building machines remove dirt and make way for the top of the hill the transom, in the municipality of Chapala.Once drawn the obstacles that led certain permits, developers of what they want to become hotel and residential complex "Las Minas" resumed construction.

And despite warnings from experts , who claim that there is a risk to build in that area by natural landslides every time, the building will continue to make to order, and even be entirely legal: both the city of Chapala and Jalisco delegation of the SEMARNAT (Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources) have consented to the project, each in his area of competence.

"Developers had us all permits, the only thing that was in doubt and was the work was the change of vegetation and land excavation cleaning (removing topsoil organic matter) and the municipality could not give way because it was wild, then processed to SEMARNAT ... and managed to free him, "said Moctezuma Medina Corona, director of the City of Chapala Ecology.

For its part, the SEMARNAT office manager in Jalisco, Lucio Virrueta Isidro, states that six months ago gave approval to a second study of Environmental Impact Statement and land use change, procedures rejected when they are delivered at a time first, and even resulted in a penalty for more than half a million dollars to developers.
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Just to be clear, the casino was never planned for the property discussed above. That property has been permitted as a housing development and indeed the first house is under construction. The casino was to be constructed in one of the new areas above Chula Vista Norte. My understanding is that the casino project is dead and there will now be an eventos in that area instead.

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this is a bedroom community of guad. look @ guad, thats what is coming down the pike. all the hectors in the world cant stop that machine. i agree walmart is a monster.

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Just to be clear, the casino was never planned for the property discussed above. That property has been permitted as a housing development and indeed the first house is under construction. The casino was to be constructed in one of the new areas above Chula Vista Norte. My understanding is that the casino project is dead and there will now be an eventos in that area instead.

Thanks for the info - do you know if it is the same developer - or another one

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I swear I never saw a single avocado tree in the lot that is the current Walmart. Might have been a couple, but the trees were mostly of non-fruit-bearing varieties. I would still prefer to see them instead of Walmart, but to say that they wiped out an avocado grove is not a factual statement. We all get so romantic about "the past" once we move here. I'm just as guilty as anyone else. We moved here two weeks before the first street light was installed in Ajijic.

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You can swear all you want, but there was a huge avocado orchard there. It was there for many, many years. You probably only saw the frontage trees. Did you ever go in there? No, probably not. Ask around. Please don't question the "factual statements" without something to back it up. I don't write just to see my words in print.

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yes there was an orchard. also dont forget the mexicans who were affected by this distruction. walmart/walmex is symbolic of how far the world has sank. that is my "negative" comment for today.

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All the Mexicans who shop there now probably wouldn't agree with you.

I would say that based on the two articles posted here, one from GDL Reporter and one from El Informador, this eyesore on the mountain is pretty much a done deal. IMHO WalMart is small potatoes when it comes to blight when compared to this development.

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mc, this is one developement i never want to see. eventually it will be in my face, bigtime. if its uglier than walmart, guess that wraps up the magic.

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All the Mexicans who shop there now probably wouldn't agree with you.

I would say that based on the two articles posted here, one from GDL Reporter and one from El Informador, this eyesore on the mountain is pretty much a done deal. IMHO WalMart is small potatoes when it comes to blight when compared to this development.

Given that the first very large home is well under construction with steel pilings and a lot of steel beams I don't think there is any turning back now. It would be fascinating to be able to follow the money on this whole sorry mess.

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remember: when there is a seller, thet is a potential buyer. developers dont get rich by making errors. worst possible scenario: tax write off.

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I remember living in Western North Carolina where the Appalachian mountains are some of the most stunning mountains on the whole of North America.........in WNC, the mining operations devasted many gorgeous views and deforestation destroyed many wonderful scenic roads. Standing up and looking up towards the mountains from the Wal Mart parking lot, the mountains are so beautiful this time of year and all year of course, it only makes me wonder, why hasn't it been built up yet?..........if Chapala was USA it would have been built up probably 50 years ago. From the libramiento, that zigzaggy road is pretty hiddeous, but it makes me wonder if anything nice could be built up there. I remember something about Presidente Joaquin Huerta saying he would like to create some kind of cool park like botanical garden like place up there to draw tourists...........to me that sounds kinda cool. I am really glad to hear that the casino was planned for upper Chula Vista, and that it is currently dead. We are in Mexico, and the planning that is done, leaves a lot to be desired. The cabanas idea sounds kinda cool, if they could just leave it as a nature reserve with cabanas and nature trails..........Chapala would be a better place, not worse. Only time will tell what monsterousity they finally decide to build.

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